Terms and Conditions
by casstiels
Summary: A contract, a bounty and a menace they've never encountered before. Sounds like an average Tuesday for the Winchesters and Castiel. But throw in an archangel, the King of Hell, and one bitch of a surprise for Dean, and you get much more than you bargained for. All because no one ever reads the terms and conditions. **mpreg**
1. Chapter 1

The bathroom walls were a multitude of grey shades, rather than one. There were hardly any cracks or blemishes on them either, given the age of the place. The floor tiles were even, and the sink, toilet and shower were all mould free. The mirror practically sparkled, and Castiel could clearly see his reflection in it. Almost too clearly for his liking.

Although - to get technical- it really wasn't his own reflection. If he was in his true form, the tiny mirror wouldn't be able to reflect one whole finger, let alone his face and upper body. The face that stared back at him had belonged to Jimmy Novak, although he really considered it his own. Castiel seldom thought about Jimmy, but when he did he sat immersed in thought for hours.

The angel used to feel guilt when he thought about the vessel he occupied. He used to think about Jimmy's willingness to consent to a possession, his regrets when he found out what it entailed and his family, who were long gone.

Cas kept a tab on them when he was able, but they had since moved to New Zealand to start a new life, and probably to escape encountering Castiel ever again. For this he was grateful for.

If he ever ran into the Novaks, he wouldn't know how to explain the fact that Jimmy Novak was dead, and had been for a very long time. When he had consented to Castiel possessing him for a second time he had been close to death, but his love for his daughter caused him to beg Cas to possess him instead of her.

Cas had promised he would never die or age, and that was true in a physical sense. Very little had changed regarding his appearance. But the amount of times Castiel had been destroyed and brought back to life, by heaven, by Leviathan, by demons and by himself caused Jimmy's soul to wilt. The breaking point was carving a banishing sigil into his own body, which blew him and his grace apart.

When he became whole again, he had realised that Jimmy was gone. All the remained was Castiel. And since Jimmy had been what angels almost affectionately called a "true vessel", he had not decomposed or began to fall apart, like some angel vessels did. And Cas was sure as hell thankful for that, since Dean (and himself, to an extent) had become attached to this particular form.

Castiel shook his head. He was distracting himself for the actual situation at hand, which he was prone to do at time. He had felt off for some time now, felt like something was pulling at his grace from the inside. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, just unwelcome. Plus there was the waves of nausea and the occasional vomiting to add in, which he had managed to hide so far.

He hadn't told anyone about it; not that there were many to tell. There was Sam, who would most likely be intrigued and slightly disgusted at the same time. Gabriel, who would probably shit himself from laughing. And Dean. He didn't quite know how Dean would react, all things considered.

It had taken Castiel some time to realize what was happening to him. And he was pretty sure he knew what outcome he was going to get. If he had to percentage it, he would estimate a clean ninety five. But he had to be absolutely sure. Which was how he justified buying the test.

Going to the drugstore and buying it hadn't troubled him. He hadn't seen the smirks of the cashiers as he left. It was actually doing the test that caused him the most problems. He procrastinated for as long as possible, which eventually brought him to where he was now: standing in one of the Men of Letters bunker bathrooms at three in the morning in his pyjamas, waiting for a pregnancy test to process.

Castiel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The test- he'd bought one of the fancy ones, all electronic and timed and apparently was able to estimate how far along one was- stated that it took seven and a half minutes to come up with the best results. He swore he'd been waiting for a lot longer but the inbuilt timer hadn't sounded off yet, so he simply stayed where he was, locked in a staring contest with his own reflection.

He wouldn't say outright that he was used to not knowing what to think. But that exact state of mind had been a big part of his life with the Winchesters. And after everything, including his banishment from Heaven after they finally worked out they couldn't reconfigure him to be a soldier and deemed him broken, he felt a small smidgeon of comfort that that aspect of him hadn't changed, because that speck of free will that evolved into so much more was what brought him and Dean Winchester together.

First as uneasy allies, a few times as enemies, then as friends, and eventually as lovers; which was the tipping point that caused the higher ups in heaven to shut him out for good.

He was glad that he could question things, where many angels couldn't. They were bound by their faith. Castiel was freed by his faith in Dean. Dean and Sam took him in right away, after he showed up on the bunker doorstep three years prior with a brand on his back that bound his wings but allowed him his grace.

Since then, he hunted with the Winchesters, grew closer to Sam and realised that some things were worth giving up if you had someone like Dean Winchester in your life.

He jumped when a shrill beep broke his train of thought. He'd drifted off again while waiting for the test. He reached for the small plastic stick, hand steady. Taking a deep breath, he rotated the test so the screen faced upwards.

_POSITIVE- 11 WEEKS _

Cas shut his eyes. He had been pretty sure that he was pregnant, but the little human test just cemented the fact that he was. He let himself slowly unfold – he hadn't realised how tense he was- until he was sitting on the floor of the bathroom with his back resting against the side of the counter.

Pregnant. He was pregnant. It was Dean's, no doubt in his mind about that at all. It was nice to have one solid answer in a sea of uncertainties. Speaking of that, Cas had no idea in the world how to tell Dean. He had justified his previous silence by wanting to make sure that he was expecting, but now there was little he could do.

If Heaven had frowned upon an angel loving a human, they would probably flip their shit over the same angel being pregnant with Nephilim. Castiel had previously had the same opinion on Nephilim as the rest of Heaven: abominations, and to be feared. The emotion and passion of a human and all of the power of an angel made for a dangerous combination.

The angel sighed yet again. He had killed the last Nephilim, which he deeply regretted, but still felt a familiar stab of revulsion at the thought of one, proof of Heaven's effects on his beliefs. But this was different. This was his, and Dean's. And he almost wanted to protect it.

But his biological desire to protect his kin hinged on how his mate (Dean didn't like the word, but it made Castiel feel more at home so he tried to ignore it) would react.

Would Dean want children? Would he be ecstatic or disgusted? Would he want to protect it, or get rid of it? Castiel wasn't sure. In Heaven, the announcement of a pregnancy was a joyous occasion. Maybe Dean would share that same joy?

So many unanswered questions that couldn't be connected to answers. Castiel got to his feet and left the bathroom, which was an ensuite to his own room (which he used when he wasn't with Dean). He let himself fall into bed, and tried to shut off his mind so he could get some sleep. One thing he had noticed after being banished: although angels didn't need sleep, they could slip into a dreamlike state that allowed some rest, and it was one of the greatest things Cas had discovered.

After a few minutes of tossing and turning in a bid to get comfortable, he eventually just lay on his back, staring at the ceiling and waiting for sleep. He resolved to not tell Dean just yet. Sam had mentioned some attacks on livestock in Illinois that sounded like a werewolf situation, and Dean wanted to check it out before any human casualties amassed. Revealing that he was pregnant would just upset those plans, so Castiel reasoned that he would keep it to himself for now, or at least until he couldn't hide it anymore.

The decision seemed final enough for him, and it allowed him to calm his mind enough for sleep to creep up on him, and not ten minutes later Castiel was asleep, dreaming about his uncertain future and what lay ahead for him, his friends and his mate.


	2. Chapter 2

Perceptivity was not one of Dean's strong suits. Not so much when it came to his brother, but more so when it came to his boyfriend. He tried to catch up on anything wrong with Cas, especially during the banished angel's first few months living in the bunker, but since then if Cas acted weird he generally assumed it was an angel thing. It spared him the embarrassment of asking, and getting broken sarcasm back from someone who didn't fully understand it but was more than willing to use it.

So when Dean didn't notice Castiel's developing appetite and frequent vomiting and nausea spells, but Sam did, it wasn't a huge surprise. Sam hadn't asked about it yet, however. He assumed that Castiel was adapting to a more human life since he started eating. Maybe his body couldn't cope with the regular intake of food yet. But it did concern the younger hunter. If Cas was really sick with some heavenly virus, they would have no way of dealing with it since he was locked out from upstairs.

But the angel seemed happy enough. There was very visible change in him after he "went domestic", as Dean affectionately named it. He was definitely more cheerful than he had been, although he did mention that he missed his wings. But that was a given. The Enochian sigil on his back looked painful, and would never fully heal unless he was allowed back into heaven. Cas had laughed slightly bitterly when he had mentioned this, but it was plain that he was happier as an outcast than a soldier.

Sam lifted his eyes from the computer perched on his lap. Dean and Cas were on the couch opposite him, Cas' legs resting on Dean's lap. Both of them were fixated on the television – something that Dean had installed himself after moving into the Men of Letters bunker, after discovering that their living room had no more than a coffee table, a few couches and a fireplace. The older hunter had taken it on himself to show the angel every aspect of pop culture he loved, and right now they were in the middle of watching _Star Trek: The Next Generation. _

Dean looked completely blissed out. Although he hadn't outwardly showed it, he had been overjoyed when Castiel was banished, though he admitted he felt guilty and considered it his fault. Heaven had disapproved of how close Cas and Dean were, and when they could no longer hide their relationship, the bosses upstairs realised that Castiel no longer served under Heaven's banner. So they kicked him out.

Now he was earthbound, and living in the bunker. Which suited the three of them just fine.

The end credits of the episode began to roll, and Dean stretched. 'So, what do you think so far?' he said to the angel.

'It's good. I like Data a lot,' replied Cas.

'Thought you would.' Dean pushed Cas' legs off and stood. 'How's research, Sammy?'

'It would be a lot easier if you two helped out,' muttered Sam, only a little bit pissed off.

'You don't need us. Nothing's come up after that werewolf case a few weeks ago. You_ could _just dump the laptop and watch TV with us instead of being a dork,' Dean laughed, as did Cas after a few seconds. The angel still wasn't quite sure about social norms, and took his cues from Dean.

'Says the guy watching every episode of Star Trek consecutively,' Sam shot back.

'Ain't nothing wrong with that,' Dean pulled his boyfriend to his feet. 'Wanna go get some lunch?'

Castiel visibly blanched. "No thanks.'

Sam watched him carefully. Sometimes he was eager to eat, consuming almost as much junk food as Dean or letting Sam cook him a healthy meal. The next minute he would disappear into a bathroom, and refuse food for the next few hours. Sam tried not to worry too much. He was no expert on angels, but he did think that maybe it went deeper than an angel thing. Maybe Cas had an eating disorder. Maybe-

Sam shook his head a little, as if trying to clear his mind. He was being paranoid and he knew it, but he couldn't help the nagging thought at the back of his mind that there was something really wrong with Castiel, and that Dean just wasn't seeing it.

'You sure?' Dean looked long and hard at the angel, who seemed to fold in on himself a little. 'You've gotta eat regularly, Cas, it's all part of being human-'

'I'm _not _a human,' Cas interrupted, giving Dean a pointed look. 'I just have my wings bound.'

Dean shrugged. 'Sorry, but you still have to eat. We can go and get some burgers or something, unless Sam wants to make a salad.' The word salad came out sounding like a curse.

Castiel brightened at the word "burgers". 'That sounds fine.' He smiled reassuringly at Dean, and the hunter laughed and put an arm around his shoulders. Sam smiled, but he could still see that Cas looked slightly off still, and it bothered him.

'Are you coming?' Cas turned to Sam to ask as the couple began to head out the door.

'I don't wanna third wheel with you two. I'll stay here.' Sam replied.

Dean muttered the word "nerd" under his breath and Sam could almost see the gears in Castiel's head turning as he tried to figure out the third wheel metaphor.

'Why would you be a wheel-' Cas stopped suddenly, cutting himself off. His shoulders stiffened.

"Cas?' Dean shot the angel a worried look. 'You okay?'

'Check your phone, Sam.' Castiel said in a monotone

'My phone? What-' At that moment, Sam's phone vibrated in his breast pocket, making him jump. He cautiously swiped the unlock screen and accessed his messages.

**_-From: ?_**

**_Open the door and take your damn angel wards off. You want me to stand in the rain all day, sasquatch?- _**

'Sam?' Dean asked cautiously.

Sam got to his feet quickly. 'It's Gabriel,' he said, heading towards the bunker door. 'He's outside,'

Dean nodded, still a bit perplexed. 'Right. Okay.' He turned to Cas, who was still stiff-shouldered under his arm. 'How did you-'

'Angel radio,' said Cas quietly. 'I could hear him swearing about the wards.'

Sam moved quickly to the door, trying not to seem too eager. He scratched a fingernail through the angel ward Castiel had painted on the inside of their door in case Heaven decided to pay a visit.

He heard a muffled "finally" after he broke the ward, and swung the door open.

'Took your time, Sammy.' Gabriel grinned at him, the rain plastering his hair to his forehead. 'You gonna let me in or what?'

Sam moved aside so Gabriel could get out of the rain, hiding a smile. He liked the archangel more than he wanted to admit, and looked forward to his spontaneous visits. Sometimes he showed up with news of a case, news for Castiel about current events upstairs or sometimes just to relax. Sam enjoyed them whatever the reason behind them. It was nice to have another person in the bunker, so he wasn't a permanent third wheel.

Besides, Gabriel was funny. And hot. And liked to slip into Sam's room sometimes if he stayed a night…

'Shut the door, you're letting the cold air in!' Dean's voice startled Sam from his reverie and he slammed shut the bunker door, reapplying the ward with a permanent marker he had taken to keeping on his person in case a sigil needed fixing, since the bunker was covered in them.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him as they made their way into the living room. 'You seem a bit out of it today. Stayed up late doing your homework last night?'

'Shut your face,' Sam retorted, falling into the easy banter that he was accustomed to with the angel.

'Never,' Gabriel entered the warm little room with a flourish. 'Cas, brother, good to see you're still defying heaven by fucking a human.' He stopped short, eyes scanning Castiel's body, then flicking up to meet his gaze. Cas shook his head imperceptibly, and Gabriel twitched his head in what could be interpreted as a nod. All of this happened in the space of two seconds, and both hunters missed the interaction completely.

Gabriel continued as smoothly as possible, though his eyes never left his brother's. 'Good to see you're helping Cas with his little rebellion, Dean.'

'You don't have to ask me twice,' laughed Dean, squeezing Castiel's shoulders.

Sam groaned, as he always did when Dean got a little too descriptive about his sex life. Dean told him to lighten up.

Castiel looked anywhere but Gabriel, avoiding his gaze like it would burn him. He shifted uneasily under Dean's arm, feeling the beginnings of nausea in his stomach.

'What's the occasion, Gabe?' asked Dean, impervious to the angel's discomfort.

'Nothing too important,' said Gabriel. 'Just the usual Heavenly updates. Plus there's been a rumour going around that a huge vampire coven has set up shop up near Maine, since you three haven't noticed it yet.'

'I noticed!' Sam said defensively.

'Sure you did,' Gabriel. 'It might be worth checking it out, unless they're those weird new vegan vampires.'

'_Vegan _vampires? You're joking, right?' Dean snorted.

'It's true. Apparently they exist on a diet of shame and synthetic blood.'

Dean and Sam both laughed, and Sam made a mental note to look into the Maine coven, rather than admit to Gabriel that he hadn't noticed the signs.

At that moment, Castiel pushed Dean's arm off his shoulders and almost jogged out of the room with a muttered "excuse me". Dean made to follow, a concerned look on his face, but Gabriel stopped him. 'I'll go. I have to give him the lowdown on Heaven, anyway.' He hurried after his brother, leaving a perplexed Dean and a worried Sam in his wake.

Gabriel didn't know the layout of the Men of Letters bunker too well, but all he had to do was follow the sound of someone retching through the corridors. Castiel had run all the way to his bathroom and locked the door, leaving Gabriel standing in his room. Of course, Gabriel could just knock the door down, but he didn't particularly want to piss off Dean and Sam too much by destroying their home. So instead he simply tapped on the door. 'Cas?'

The retching continued for a few minutes, until the sound of someone running the faucet and washing their mouth out was audible through the door. It cracked open slightly, and Castiel poked his head out, red faced and sweaty. 'Is Dean with you?'

'Nope.'

'Okay. Good.' He pushed the door open wider and allowed Gabriel to enter.

The archangel crinkled his nose at the smell. 'Charming, Cas.' He scrutinized the younger angel critically, making him shuffle awkwardly.

Castiel avoided his brother's gaze, shoulders hunched sheepishly. He focused instead on a small crack in the otherwise perfect tiles of the bathroom, trying to ignore the eyes burning into him.

'So,' Gabriel said after a while. 'Should I congratulate you or what?'

Castiel frowned. 'I'd appreciate it if you didn't make jokes at my expense.'

'What else do you want me to do? Throw a fucking baby shower? Jesus, Cas.' Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. 'Have you even told Dean? I'm assuming its Dean's, right?'

'Of course it's Dean's!' snapped the angel. 'And no, I haven't told him.' He met his brother's eyes for the first time. 'Is it… noticeable?'

'Only to me. Your grace is glowing out of control, and it sucks to look at to be honest.' Gabriel softened his tone a little, knowing that Cas couldn't exactly help glowing like a beacon. 'Why haven't you told him?

Castiel shook his head. 'I don't… I just couldn't. Not right after I found out. I thought it would disrupt everything, and I don't know how Dean will react, anyway. Besides, we were going to Illinois in the morning on a hunt, I didn't want to mess up their plans or anything.'

'You went _hunting_? Are you serious?' Castiel recoiled at his brother's yell, shooting a worried look at the open door. Gabriel struggled to get his anger under control before speaking again. 'You realise how badly that could have gone? You can't use any angel mojo right now, Cas. What if you or Sam or Dean got hurt?'

Cas couldn't look him in the eye. 'I know. But I can't tell Dean, Gabe, I can't. I don't know what he'll do. I don't want to ruin what we have.'

'You have to tell him. You can't not, I mean, it's his problem as much as it is yours. What were you planning on doing, hiding it until you couldn't?'

Cas mumbled 'yes' under his breath. Gabriel wanted to punch a wall.

'Look. Either you tell him, or I do it for you. Because this is huge. This isn't something you can ignore. You've gotta tell him.' Gabriel's words sounded more threatening than he would have liked, but he could see by the look of resignation on his brother's face he had gotten through to him.

'Fine. I'll tell Dean. But you're staying here until I do.' Castiel glared at him accusingly.

Gabriel laughed. 'I wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.' In a more serious tone, he added 'Tomorrow, okay? You tell him tomorrow, and we get this all over and done with.'

Castiel nodded, swallowing hard. His previous nausea had been replaced with a hard ball of anxiety, like the feeling of missing the last step on the stairs at night. Tomorrow. He'd tell Dean tomorrow, and have Gabriel at his side to help him deal with the consequences. The thought made him feel slightly better. Only slightly.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The next day was a tense one. The rain continued to fall on the bunker, which prompted Dean to move the Impala from around the front back into the garage.

Castiel started the morning with the usual ritual of throwing up whatever was in his stomach at the time and hoping no one heard him. He wasn't exactly surprised to find Gabriel sitting cross legged on his bed when he emerged from the bathroom at around six.

'Morning.'

Cas muttered something incomprehensible back.

'How're you feeling, then?'

'How does it look like I feel?' snapped the angel. He glared at his brother, who looked amused.

'Chill, Cas. You know I'm only asking to piss you off.'

'Thanks so much.' He sat beside Gabriel on his bed, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

'So, what's your plan for today?' asked the older angel, getting to the point straight away. 'Are you gonna straight up tell Dean, or do you want me too?

'I- I don't know yet,' said Cas. 'I can't imagine what his response will be.'

'I could tell Sam first, if you want. Something tells me he would be a little less likely to fly off the handle than Dean.'

'You just want an excuse to get Sam somewhere private.'

Gabriel laughed. 'True. But you can see where I'm coming from.'

Castiel half-smiled. 'I'd rather tell Dean first.'

Gabriel nodded, and fell silent. He wouldn't let Castiel see it, but he was concerned about how the hunter would react. He wasn't exactly known for having an even temper in the best of situations, and something as alien as this was more than likely to freak him out. But he reckoned he knew Sam well enough to know that he would want to help Castiel with whatever he decided to do, no matter what his brother did.

Castiel sighed after a few minutes of silence. 'I'd rather not put this off for any longer than I have to.' He got to his feet and motioned to his door. 'Do you mind?'

'A little self-conscious, are we?' Gabriel snorted as he left the room.

Cas headed back to his bathroom to take a shower, his mind buzzing with all the ways his day could go wrong. Or it could go right, and Dean wouldn't completely loose his shit.

Either way, he knew his life was going to change within the next ten or so hours. It wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

The next few hours were awkward by anyone's standards. Castiel didn't eat much, more from the anxiety rather than nausea, and kept his mouth resolutely shut. Gabriel dropped subtle hints at Cas every so often, trying to prompt him to bring up the reason for his silence. Sam knew something had- or was about to- go down, and even Dean cottoned on that something was wrong with his angel.

It all culminated after dinner (store bought nachos, which even Sam went in on). Castiel fiddled with the label on his beer bottle, which he had nursed the entire meal. He shot a sideways look at Gabriel, who inclined his head in Dean's direction. Castiel nodded.

'Dean? Can we talk?'

Dean looked up from his phone. 'Talk? Sure. What's up?'

'In, uh, private.' Castiel replied sheepishly as he felt Sam's eyes on him.

Dean gave him a long look and nodded. He got up from the table as Cas followed, Gabriel at his heels. Dean frowned. 'I thought this was between me and Cas?'

'It is. I'm just overseeing it,' he turned to Sam. 'Sorry, Sasquatch.'

Sam only nodded.

They ended up in Dean's bedroom. Gabriel eyed the collection of weapons displayed on the wall with a mix of appreciation and unease, while his brother stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. Gabriel noted that Castiel was picking up more and more human-esque mannerisms the longer he existed in the bunker.

'Sooooo,' Dean began awkwardly. 'What's the problem?'

'What makes you think it's a problem?' Castiel said sharply.

Dean looked taken aback by Cas' response. 'I'm don't wanna assume anything. You're just acting like you're about to tell me something big is happening in Heaven or something like that.' He looked concerned. '_Is _something going on upstairs?'

'In Heaven? No.' Castiel shot his brother a sideways glance. 'Everything's fine in Heaven, right?'

'Yeah, as good as it gets up there.' Gabriel snorted

'Okay then. So what is it?' Dean looked worried.

'Well. Um. It's hard to really say.' Castiel looked like he was choking on his own tongue. 'How familiar are you with angel biology?'

The archangel barely restrained himself from smacking his own forehead. Castiel was really struggling to spit it out, and Dean just looked confused. He kept silent, however, promising that he would only intervene if he had to.

'I know jack shit, Cas, you know that. Are you sick? Is something messing with your mojo?'

'Sort of. There is something, but it's not a sickness or anything, and it's something you might not know about angels, so don't freak out, okay?' Castiel knew he was rambling, but it was a hell of a lot easier than getting straight to the point. He looked at Gabriel desperately. The archangel shrugged.

'Cas?' Dean moved in a little closer to the angel. 'Come on, tell me what's happened, please.' His voice lost its characteristic harshness when he spoke to Castiel, and he looked worried.

Castiel took in a breath. Really, it was now or never. 'I'm pregnant.'

Silence.

Dean cleared his throat after a short pause. 'What… the _fuck_?'

'It's yours,' Castiel added hopefully.

'No, really, what the fuck.'

'Um. I'm pregnant?' Castiel looked at his brother, confused.

'Pregnant, Dean. You know, where babies come from?' Gabriel quipped, making sure he was ready to step in at any moment in case Dean flipped out.

'Of course I know what it is,' Dean snapped. He looked at Cas, his expression angry. 'How the hell does that even work? You're a dude! We used protection! What the _fuck, _Castiel?'

Castiel flinched. He seemed to fold in on himself, like he was deflating. He couldn't look the hunter in the eye. The angel who had faced demons and Leviathan couldn't bring himself to face his mate.

'Dean, calm your shit. How did think reproduction happened, by mitosis?' Gabriel angled his body so he was slightly in front of Castiel.

'I don't know, the normal way!' Dean didn't seem to realize how loud his voice had gotten.

'Normal? We're angels, dickbag. Angels can reproduce, and now Castiel is carrying your kid. Understand?'

'No, I don't!' Dean ran a hand through his hair. 'I can handle weird angel shit. The teleporting, and the telekinesis, I can get that. But this? This is fucked up.' He looked at Cas again. 'You're a _guy.'_

'He's an angel in a vessel, not a human. How about you stop sounding off like an idiot so we can explain this without me knocking you out first.' Gabriel said threateningly. But it was hard to be domineering when Dean was quite a bit taller than him.

'No, no. That's the last thing you're gonna do to me. I just- I need a bit to figure this out. It's too weird. It's weird, and fucked up, and gross.' He hadn't realized he had been clenching his fists until he felt his nails digging into his palms. 'I'm sorry, okay? I just need to get out for a bit.' He pushed past the two angels and left the room in a hurry, leaving Castiel frozen in place.

He ended up back in the library, where they had eaten dinner. The leftover nachos no longer looked appetising. Dean felt slightly sick. Sam looked up from his phone and opened his mouth to speak. Dean cut him off. 'Don't ask. Please. Just don't.'

Sam briefly entertained the notion of prodding him for information, but Dean looked like one word would make him snap, so he said nothing. He would try to get Gabriel to talk later that night, provided the archangel stayed. He hoped that he would.

The younger hunter shook his head. Now was not the time to start getting all breathless thinking about Gabriel, but sometimes that wasn't an easy feat. He only hoped that Castiel, his brother and the archangel were okay, and whatever had transpired that night would be resolved by morning.

The night was a long one. Castiel had stood where Dean had left him for about ten minutes with Gabriel uncharacteristically silent at his shoulder. The archangel new better than to speak while Cas processed what had just happened.

Eventually, Castiel seemed to crumble, like burnt wood under too much pressure. He didn't collapse, just left the room as if pushed by a breeze. Gabriel followed.

'Cas?'

Silence.

'Cas, come on, man, talk to me.'

The younger angel said nothing.

Gabriel gently grabbed his shoulder to stop him, but it was like trying to stop a waterfall. Castiel just kept moving. Gabriel sighed and stayed at his heels, until they reached his bedroom. He finally stopped, and turned around.

'Are you okay?' asked Gabriel, knowing the answer he would get.

'I'm fine, Gabriel,' said the angel coolly. 'I just need some time.'

The archangel nodded. 'Don't do anything dumb.'

Castiel didn't grace him with an answer, and drifted into his room. The door closed and the lock clicked. It was more of a message than a barrier, as Gabriel could knock the door down with a shoulder, or snap it out of existence. But the deafening sound of the lock in the hallway simply said _please. _

_Please, leave me alone._

Gabriel felt a strange urge to hug his brother, or too punch something soft, at the same time. He pushed his hair back and left Castiel to his own devices, whatever they were.

The archangel passed the library and caught the eyes of both Sam and Dean, although one looked away instantly, and the other held his gaze with a questioning look in his eyes. Gabriel nodded, and Sam left his seat.

He knew that Sam would want to know, and Gabriel a felt obligated to tell him. Maybe the taller Winchester could slap some sense into Dean. He hoped that would be the case, lest he gave in to his anger and threw Dean through a few walls.

While the archangel and the hunter talked quietly in the privacy of a bedroom, Dean retreated to his own room and fell into bed, having consumed enough alcohol to put him to sleep without him having to think.

And Castiel was left sitting on his bed, wondering what the hell to do with his life.

The minuted ticked past in intervals, sometimes unbearably sluggishly, or lightning fast. The angel lost himself in thought, almost on the brink of a meditative state. At around two o'clock, when he was sure that Dean would be dead to the world, and Sam and Gabriel would be to consumed in whatever they were doing to notice anything, Castiel's thoughts organized themselves into a plan he immediately put into action.

First things first, he grabbed a permanent marker and began to inscribe Enochian symbols on his forearm; making sure to join them into the sigil that would make him untraceable to angels.

He then grabbed a bag and tossed a few things of value into it- clothes, wallet, phone, laptop. All human trinkets he had grown fond of while living in the bunker.

Castiel left his room and moved silently down to the garage, finding his cream colored sedan amongst the other retro cars nestled in the dark. He fired up the engine, which almost purred after being fixed numerous times and given new oil.

Castiel drove out into the night, not really knowing where he was going. His plan only included getting out of the bunker. He had no clear idea of where to go. All he knew was that Dean had rejected him, and he wanted to get far away from it all.

But the thing that was the source of his problems was inside him.

And that's when the beginnings of a new idea began to form in the angel's mind.

He wanted to get rid of his problems. Why not get rid of the source first?


End file.
